Chelsea 2 Sheff Utd 0
Mauricio Pochettino went into this game closer to the bottom three than the top four. Welcoming bottom of the league Sheff Utd to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea knew that nothing other than three points would do.
The hosts started to put the pressure on the visitors from the off, with Sterling causing problems down the right. Gallagher dispossessed The Blades in the middle of the park and shot from the edge of the box but it was straight at Foderingham.
As the visitors countered, Archer cut inside from out wide, with only one thing on his mind. As he shifted the ball onto his right foot, he looked to bend one in the top corner. It went narrowly wide of the goal but had Petrovic at full stretch, making his Chelsea debut in goal.
The pace of Mudryk was an issue for the visitors but for all his industry and effort, too often his final delivery is disappointing. Jackson tried his luck from the edge of the box but his effort did not have enough bend on it as it just missed the far post.
Credit: @premierleague
Pochettino will be looking at making small steps with this squad, working towards his long term vision. You have to wonder though, considering the £1bn+ spent by the owner in less than two years, whether these players should be doing far better than they are.
For the money spent by Todd Boehly, you could plant five million trees. It would certainly go some way towards saving the planet and would seem a much wiser investment than watching this misfiring Chelsea side every week.
Cole Palmer is the only player who seems to be money well spent for The Blues and he constantly asked questions of the visitors. Chris Wilder’s side were getting players in between the ball and goal consistently, leading to the majority of Chelsea’s shots being blocked.
Pochettino’s side finally broke the deadlock when Sterling got to the byline and whipped a low ball across the box. It was met by the advancing Palmer who slotted home from a couple of yards out. You could see the relief on the faces of the Chelsea players.
Sheff Utd’s problem is that once they concede one goal, others follow, all too quickly. As Sterling tried to get in on goal, Foderingham half saved the ball but Palmer was on hand to play it across the six yard box for Jackson to score the easiest goal of his football career.
There was no way the Chelsea striker could miss from one yard out with no one around him at all. You could tell from the body language of The Blades that the second goal had sealed the game for Pochettino’s side.
Credit: @ChelseaFC
Sterling was still throwing his arms around like a toddler having a tantrum, demanding a penalty for the challenge on him, while his teammates were celebrating their second goal. Classic Raheem, ever the team player, he did not even know his side had scored.
Palmer was in acres of space out on the right and as he cut inside, he looked up to see who was in the box. The young attacker then put it on a plate for Broja who inexplicably put the ball over the bar from only two yards out.
Former Man City player Palmer almost added a third when he flicked a deft free kick into the bottom corner but Foderingham got down to save, and then managed to block the follow up effort also to keep the score at two-nil.
Although they huffed and puffed in stages, Sheff Utd did not look like they had enough creativity in them to get back into this game and the hosts held on for the win. No one left Stamford Bridge thinking they were back on track, just realising they had played the worst team in this division.
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